TAIPEI—New Asus ROG Strix II gaming laptops unveiled here at Computex come with a few predictable features currently in vogue, like screens with 144Hz refresh rates and ultra thin bezels, but also something you won't find on many other gaming laptops: a separate version designed for MOBA gamers.
The distinction is almost entirely a marketing gimmick, since the only major physical difference is that the ROG Strix Hero II (for MOBA) has different-colored QWERTY keys, while the ROG Strix Scar II (for FPS games) has the more traditional color distinction on its WASD keys.
Other than different keyboard colors and some design flourishes (the Hero II gets a cyberpunk pattern on the palm rest while the Scar II features a camouflage pattern), the two laptops look almost identical. Standout physical features include a four-zone RGB keyboard backlight, an additional RGB strip along the front edge, and thinner bezels that result in the new ROG Strix measuring an inch narrower than its predecessor while still keeping the same 15.6-inch display size. Unfortunatley, the thin bezels relegate the webcam to a position beneath the screen, where it mostly captures your nostrils.
On the inside, configurations differ more significantly depending on whether you get the Hero II or the Scar II. Either one gets the option of an Intel Core i5-8300H or an Intel Core i7-8750H, up to 32GB of RAM, and several different SSD and HDD configurations. But only the Scar II gets an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card, while the Hero II is limited to a GTX 1060.
With a refresh rate of 144Hz and a 3ms response time, the full HD display on the Scar is about as good as it gets for a gaming laptop. You can configure a Hero II with this display, but the base model hero comes with a 60Hz screen that only sounds inferior in theory, since the GTX 1060 won't be able to take advantage of higher refresh rates anyway.
Both models are available now. The Hero II starts at $1,699 while Scar II starts at $1,999.
For more, check out our hands on with the Asus ROG gaming phone.